Leeds Grand Mosque (LGM) is a mosque in Leeds with a regular congregation of 1,200.[1][2] It is located at 9 Woodsley Road, Hyde Park, Leeds, LS6 1SN West Yorkshire, England. The mosque has a diverse and ethnically mixed congregation with facilities for both male and female worshippers.[1] The Friday prayer sermon is also delivered in English also alongside the Arabic.[2]
| Leeds Grand Mosque | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | Leeds, England |
  Shown within Leeds | |
| Geographic coordinates | 53°48′23.1″N 1°34′05.3″W / 53.806417°N 1.568139°W |
| Architecture | |
| Type | mosque |
| Date established | 1994 |
| Capacity | 1,500+ |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The mosque's Imam is Sheikh Dr Mohammed Taher.[3] The resident Islamic scholar to the mosque is Sheikh Abdullah Al Judai’.[3]
It is the home of the first Muslim Scout Group in Leeds.[4] 15 Scouts were invested at the launch in 2006.[5]
Building
editIt was originally Sacred Heart Church designed by Derek Walker, completed in 1965 and described as "One of the most striking churches to be built in the 1960s".[6] The design is Brutalist based on a concrete frame clad with pre-cast panels of Cornish granite aggregate.[6] It closed in 1993 and was sold and converted in 1994, with funding from Saif Bin Muhammad Al-Nehayyan of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.[7] The chancel was converted into a smaller worship hall used on weekdays, and a women's gallery was constructed at the rear of the main hall, later augmented by converting the choir gallery into a second women's gallery. The stained glass window and Christian symbols were removed, and facilities for wudu installed.[6]
The main hall provides a large open space which is used as the main prayer area for men.
In 2013 a storm lifted part of the roof off, resulting in extensive rain damage.[8]
Facilities
edit
- Male prayer hall
- Female prayer hall
- Lecture room
- Basement – used for multiple activities
- Library
- Catering kitchen
- Management office, storage rooms, and washing facilities for both males and females
- Fenced car park for 20 cars
- Gardens around the mosque
- Linked house, rented as a source of income
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Welcome to Leeds Grand Mosque". www.leedsgrandmosque.com. Leeds Grand Mosque. 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ a b The Times, 24 August 2002 Archived 21 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine"At your service" by Daniel Crewe
- ^ a b "Our Team". www.leedsgrandmosque.com. Leeds Grand Mosque. 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ www.cycscouts.org.uk Archived 2008-12-03 at the Wayback Machine 1st Muslim Scout Group Launches
- ^ Yorkshire Evening Post 5 December 2006 "City gets its first Muslim Scouts"
- ^ a b c John Minnis & Trevor Mitchell (2007) Religion and Place in Leeds (English Heritage) ISBN 978-1-905624-48-5
- ^ History of Leeds Grand Mosque Archived 2011-07-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yorkshire Evening Post 7 December 2013 "SOS call at Leeds mosque left exposed by freak storm"